Most modern, high performance gaming laptops take their design cues from super cars, with powerful hardware wrapped in sleek, angular cases. The MSI GT72S Dominator Pro has a lot of power, but that's where the comparison to a super car ends. In fact, with lackluster features and a cheap, plastic feel, the 17-inch rig has more in common with a Camaro than a Lambo.

That's not to say the GT72S isn't a powerful laptop. It has plenty of horsepower thanks to an Nvidia GeForce GTX 980 graphics card and a decent i7 CPU. It also has a bright, 17-inch 4K screen and an honest-to-goodness Blu-ray drive. But to take the car analogy even further, when it comes to battery life, this thing is a gas-guzzler.

msi.com

MSI brought out the GTX 980M “Dominator” version of the Dragon Edition in 2015. The special Dragon Edition here adds a few visual and subtle technical changes to the design. As far as the visual changes are concerned, some will love them; others will hate them. Unfortunately, I fall into the latter category.

The Dragon Edition is one of the gaudier-looking notebooks on the market. It has a striking red chassis with a dragon graphic emblazoned on its front that looks very Game of Thrones. Again, maybe that’s your thing. It’s not mine.

PERFORMANCE MSI GT72S DRAGON SERIES

Windows 10 Home

Unlocked 6th Gen Intel Core i7 K Processor

Extreme desktop gaming graphics with GeForce® GTX 980

See gaming differently with a 17” IPS display powered by NVIDIA G-SYNC

DESIGN MSI GT72S DRAGON

MSI GT72S DRAGON EDITION SERIES

The lid on the laptop is an attractive, brushed aluminum panel, with the red MSI badge prominently on display. The cooling vents have the same angled, sports car look other high-powered gaming laptops have adopted, but the GT72S is more of a tank than a supercar. The keys feel firm, with good travel and are spaced well. The 17-inch behemoth means there's plenty of canvas for a full-sized keyboard, but some of the keys aren't where I expect them to be.

Unlike its metal top, the bottom of the computer is plastic and very cheap-feeling at that. It seems like the same filmsy plastic used on budget, sub-$500 laptops. This is partially thanks to the heavily vented bottom, which is necessary to facilitate cooling but it compromises its structural integrity.

The Dynaudio speakers are loud. It's one of the louder laptops I've tested. At full volume, it doesn't become distorted, which is great. While it retains its fidelity even at its loudest, the sound isn't particularly great to begin with. It's passable for casual listening, but there's no richness to it.

Sound also seems off-balance. There's a sub-woofer on the bottom left of the computer, and the equalizer pushes an excessive amount of bass through it.

DISPLAY MSI GT72S DRAGON EDITION WITH NVIDIA GTX 980

MSI has also ensured the Dragon Edition can cater to gamers’ hankering for some 4K action. The Dragon Edition’s display can connect to multiple higher-resolution screens using HDMI 1.4, Mini DisplayPort or a USB 3.1 Type-C port, which support 4K resolutions at 60Hz. The Dragon Edition’s sizable 17.3-inch Full HD display is one of the best I’ve seen on a gaming notebook.

Running my standard set of screen tests using my trusted X–Rite colorimeter, the Dragon Edition performed admirably and ran in with a 6,536K colour temperature and 0.13 Delta E. That’s less than 40k away from the 6,500k ideal. Anything lower than a 1.0 Delta E score is pretty darn good.

The screen covers only 85.9% of the sRGB gamut and 62.9% of the Abobe RGB, but considering this is a gaming machine, not a design tool, the figures are more than good enough.

The inclusion of Nvidia’s G–Sync technology is another positive. G-Sync is a custom tech similar to AMD’s FreeSync. It works to reduce screen tearing and input lag by synchronising the display’s refresh rates to the GPU.

Most modern, high performance gaming laptops take their design cues from super cars, with powerful hardware wrapped in sleek, angular cases. The MSI GT72S Dominator Pro has a lot of power, but that's where the comparison to a super car ends. In fact, with lackluster features and a cheap, plastic feel, the 17-inch rig has more in common with a Camaro than a Lambo.

That's not to say the GT72S isn't a powerful laptop. It has plenty of horsepower thanks to an Nvidia GeForce GTX 980 graphics card and a decent i7 CPU. It also has a bright, 17-inch 4K screen and an honest-to-goodness Blu-ray drive. But to take the car analogy even further, when it comes to battery life, this thing is a gas-guzzler.

msi.com

MSI brought out the GTX 980M “Dominator” version of the Dragon Edition in 2015. The special Dragon Edition here adds a few visual and subtle technical changes to the design. As far as the visual changes are concerned, some will love them; others will hate them. Unfortunately, I fall into the latter category.

The Dragon Edition is one of the gaudier-looking notebooks on the market. It has a striking red chassis with a dragon graphic emblazoned on its front that looks very Game of Thrones. Again, maybe that’s your thing. It’s not mine.

PERFORMANCE MSI GT72S DRAGON SERIES

Windows 10 Home

Unlocked 6th Gen Intel Core i7 K Processor

Extreme desktop gaming graphics with GeForce® GTX 980

See gaming differently with a 17” IPS display powered by NVIDIA G-SYNC

DESIGN MSI GT72S DRAGON

MSI GT72S DRAGON EDITION SERIES

The lid on the laptop is an attractive, brushed aluminum panel, with the red MSI badge prominently on display. The cooling vents have the same angled, sports car look other high-powered gaming laptops have adopted, but the GT72S is more of a tank than a supercar. The keys feel firm, with good travel and are spaced well. The 17-inch behemoth means there's plenty of canvas for a full-sized keyboard, but some of the keys aren't where I expect them to be.

Unlike its metal top, the bottom of the computer is plastic and very cheap-feeling at that. It seems like the same filmsy plastic used on budget, sub-$500 laptops. This is partially thanks to the heavily vented bottom, which is necessary to facilitate cooling but it compromises its structural integrity.

The Dynaudio speakers are loud. It's one of the louder laptops I've tested. At full volume, it doesn't become distorted, which is great. While it retains its fidelity even at its loudest, the sound isn't particularly great to begin with. It's passable for casual listening, but there's no richness to it.

Sound also seems off-balance. There's a sub-woofer on the bottom left of the computer, and the equalizer pushes an excessive amount of bass through it.

DISPLAY MSI GT72S DRAGON EDITION WITH NVIDIA GTX 980

MSI has also ensured the Dragon Edition can cater to gamers’ hankering for some 4K action. The Dragon Edition’s display can connect to multiple higher-resolution screens using HDMI 1.4, Mini DisplayPort or a USB 3.1 Type-C port, which support 4K resolutions at 60Hz. The Dragon Edition’s sizable 17.3-inch Full HD display is one of the best I’ve seen on a gaming notebook.

Running my standard set of screen tests using my trusted X–Rite colorimeter, the Dragon Edition performed admirably and ran in with a 6,536K colour temperature and 0.13 Delta E. That’s less than 40k away from the 6,500k ideal. Anything lower than a 1.0 Delta E score is pretty darn good.

The screen covers only 85.9% of the sRGB gamut and 62.9% of the Abobe RGB, but considering this is a gaming machine, not a design tool, the figures are more than good enough.

The inclusion of Nvidia’s G–Sync technology is another positive. G-Sync is a custom tech similar to AMD’s FreeSync. It works to reduce screen tearing and input lag by synchronising the display’s refresh rates to the GPU.

Most modern, high performance gaming laptops take their design cues from super cars, with powerful hardware wrapped in sleek, angular cases. The MSI GT72S Dominator Pro has a lot of power, but that's where the comparison to a super car ends. In fact, with lackluster features and a cheap, plastic feel, the 17-inch rig has more in common with a Camaro than a Lambo.

That's not to say the GT72S isn't a powerful laptop. It has plenty of horsepower thanks to an Nvidia GeForce GTX 980 graphics card and a decent i7 CPU. It also has a bright, 17-inch 4K screen and an honest-to-goodness Blu-ray drive. But to take the car analogy even further, when it comes to battery life, this thing is a gas-guzzler.

msi.com

MSI brought out the GTX 980M “Dominator” version of the Dragon Edition in 2015. The special Dragon Edition here adds a few visual and subtle technical changes to the design. As far as the visual changes are concerned, some will love them; others will hate them. Unfortunately, I fall into the latter category.

The Dragon Edition is one of the gaudier-looking notebooks on the market. It has a striking red chassis with a dragon graphic emblazoned on its front that looks very Game of Thrones. Again, maybe that’s your thing. It’s not mine.

PERFORMANCE MSI GT72S DRAGON SERIES

Windows 10 Home

Unlocked 6th Gen Intel Core i7 K Processor

Extreme desktop gaming graphics with GeForce® GTX 980

See gaming differently with a 17” IPS display powered by NVIDIA G-SYNC

DESIGN MSI GT72S DRAGON

MSI GT72S DRAGON EDITION SERIES

The lid on the laptop is an attractive, brushed aluminum panel, with the red MSI badge prominently on display. The cooling vents have the same angled, sports car look other high-powered gaming laptops have adopted, but the GT72S is more of a tank than a supercar. The keys feel firm, with good travel and are spaced well. The 17-inch behemoth means there's plenty of canvas for a full-sized keyboard, but some of the keys aren't where I expect them to be.

Unlike its metal top, the bottom of the computer is plastic and very cheap-feeling at that. It seems like the same filmsy plastic used on budget, sub-$500 laptops. This is partially thanks to the heavily vented bottom, which is necessary to facilitate cooling but it compromises its structural integrity.

The Dynaudio speakers are loud. It's one of the louder laptops I've tested. At full volume, it doesn't become distorted, which is great. While it retains its fidelity even at its loudest, the sound isn't particularly great to begin with. It's passable for casual listening, but there's no richness to it.

Sound also seems off-balance. There's a sub-woofer on the bottom left of the computer, and the equalizer pushes an excessive amount of bass through it.

DISPLAY MSI GT72S DRAGON EDITION WITH NVIDIA GTX 980

MSI has also ensured the Dragon Edition can cater to gamers’ hankering for some 4K action. The Dragon Edition’s display can connect to multiple higher-resolution screens using HDMI 1.4, Mini DisplayPort or a USB 3.1 Type-C port, which support 4K resolutions at 60Hz. The Dragon Edition’s sizable 17.3-inch Full HD display is one of the best I’ve seen on a gaming notebook.

Running my standard set of screen tests using my trusted X–Rite colorimeter, the Dragon Edition performed admirably and ran in with a 6,536K colour temperature and 0.13 Delta E. That’s less than 40k away from the 6,500k ideal. Anything lower than a 1.0 Delta E score is pretty darn good.

The screen covers only 85.9% of the sRGB gamut and 62.9% of the Abobe RGB, but considering this is a gaming machine, not a design tool, the figures are more than good enough.

The inclusion of Nvidia’s G–Sync technology is another positive. G-Sync is a custom tech similar to AMD’s FreeSync. It works to reduce screen tearing and input lag by synchronising the display’s refresh rates to the GPU.

Most modern, high performance gaming laptops take their design cues from super cars, with powerful hardware wrapped in sleek, angular cases. The MSI GT72S Dominator Pro has a lot of power, but that's where the comparison to a super car ends. In fact, with lackluster features and a cheap, plastic feel, the 17-inch rig has more in common with a Camaro than a Lambo.

That's not to say the GT72S isn't a powerful laptop. It has plenty of horsepower thanks to an Nvidia GeForce GTX 980 graphics card and a decent i7 CPU. It also has a bright, 17-inch 4K screen and an honest-to-goodness Blu-ray drive. But to take the car analogy even further, when it comes to battery life, this thing is a gas-guzzler.

msi.com

MSI brought out the GTX 980M “Dominator” version of the Dragon Edition in 2015. The special Dragon Edition here adds a few visual and subtle technical changes to the design. As far as the visual changes are concerned, some will love them; others will hate them. Unfortunately, I fall into the latter category.

The Dragon Edition is one of the gaudier-looking notebooks on the market. It has a striking red chassis with a dragon graphic emblazoned on its front that looks very Game of Thrones. Again, maybe that’s your thing. It’s not mine.

PERFORMANCE MSI GT72S DRAGON SERIES

Windows 10 Home

Unlocked 6th Gen Intel Core i7 K Processor

Extreme desktop gaming graphics with GeForce® GTX 980

See gaming differently with a 17” IPS display powered by NVIDIA G-SYNC

DESIGN MSI GT72S DRAGON

MSI GT72S DRAGON EDITION SERIES

The lid on the laptop is an attractive, brushed aluminum panel, with the red MSI badge prominently on display. The cooling vents have the same angled, sports car look other high-powered gaming laptops have adopted, but the GT72S is more of a tank than a supercar. The keys feel firm, with good travel and are spaced well. The 17-inch behemoth means there's plenty of canvas for a full-sized keyboard, but some of the keys aren't where I expect them to be.

Unlike its metal top, the bottom of the computer is plastic and very cheap-feeling at that. It seems like the same filmsy plastic used on budget, sub-$500 laptops. This is partially thanks to the heavily vented bottom, which is necessary to facilitate cooling but it compromises its structural integrity.

The Dynaudio speakers are loud. It's one of the louder laptops I've tested. At full volume, it doesn't become distorted, which is great. While it retains its fidelity even at its loudest, the sound isn't particularly great to begin with. It's passable for casual listening, but there's no richness to it.

Sound also seems off-balance. There's a sub-woofer on the bottom left of the computer, and the equalizer pushes an excessive amount of bass through it.

DISPLAY MSI GT72S DRAGON EDITION WITH NVIDIA GTX 980

MSI has also ensured the Dragon Edition can cater to gamers’ hankering for some 4K action. The Dragon Edition’s display can connect to multiple higher-resolution screens using HDMI 1.4, Mini DisplayPort or a USB 3.1 Type-C port, which support 4K resolutions at 60Hz. The Dragon Edition’s sizable 17.3-inch Full HD display is one of the best I’ve seen on a gaming notebook.

Running my standard set of screen tests using my trusted X–Rite colorimeter, the Dragon Edition performed admirably and ran in with a 6,536K colour temperature and 0.13 Delta E. That’s less than 40k away from the 6,500k ideal. Anything lower than a 1.0 Delta E score is pretty darn good.

The screen covers only 85.9% of the sRGB gamut and 62.9% of the Abobe RGB, but considering this is a gaming machine, not a design tool, the figures are more than good enough.

The inclusion of Nvidia’s G–Sync technology is another positive. G-Sync is a custom tech similar to AMD’s FreeSync. It works to reduce screen tearing and input lag by synchronising the display’s refresh rates to the GPU.

Most modern, high performance gaming laptops take their design cues from super cars, with powerful hardware wrapped in sleek, angular cases. The MSI GT72S Dominator Pro has a lot of power, but that's where the comparison to a super car ends. In fact, with lackluster features and a cheap, plastic feel, the 17-inch rig has more in common with a Camaro than a Lambo.

That's not to say the GT72S isn't a powerful laptop. It has plenty of horsepower thanks to an Nvidia GeForce GTX 980 graphics card and a decent i7 CPU. It also has a bright, 17-inch 4K screen and an honest-to-goodness Blu-ray drive. But to take the car analogy even further, when it comes to battery life, this thing is a gas-guzzler.

msi.com

MSI brought out the GTX 980M “Dominator” version of the Dragon Edition in 2015. The special Dragon Edition here adds a few visual and subtle technical changes to the design. As far as the visual changes are concerned, some will love them; others will hate them. Unfortunately, I fall into the latter category.

The Dragon Edition is one of the gaudier-looking notebooks on the market. It has a striking red chassis with a dragon graphic emblazoned on its front that looks very Game of Thrones. Again, maybe that’s your thing. It’s not mine.

PERFORMANCE MSI GT72S DRAGON SERIES

Windows 10 Home

Unlocked 6th Gen Intel Core i7 K Processor

Extreme desktop gaming graphics with GeForce® GTX 980

See gaming differently with a 17” IPS display powered by NVIDIA G-SYNC

DESIGN MSI GT72S DRAGON

MSI GT72S DRAGON EDITION SERIES

The lid on the laptop is an attractive, brushed aluminum panel, with the red MSI badge prominently on display. The cooling vents have the same angled, sports car look other high-powered gaming laptops have adopted, but the GT72S is more of a tank than a supercar. The keys feel firm, with good travel and are spaced well. The 17-inch behemoth means there's plenty of canvas for a full-sized keyboard, but some of the keys aren't where I expect them to be.

Unlike its metal top, the bottom of the computer is plastic and very cheap-feeling at that. It seems like the same filmsy plastic used on budget, sub-$500 laptops. This is partially thanks to the heavily vented bottom, which is necessary to facilitate cooling but it compromises its structural integrity.

The Dynaudio speakers are loud. It's one of the louder laptops I've tested. At full volume, it doesn't become distorted, which is great. While it retains its fidelity even at its loudest, the sound isn't particularly great to begin with. It's passable for casual listening, but there's no richness to it.

Sound also seems off-balance. There's a sub-woofer on the bottom left of the computer, and the equalizer pushes an excessive amount of bass through it.

DISPLAY MSI GT72S DRAGON EDITION WITH NVIDIA GTX 980

MSI has also ensured the Dragon Edition can cater to gamers’ hankering for some 4K action. The Dragon Edition’s display can connect to multiple higher-resolution screens using HDMI 1.4, Mini DisplayPort or a USB 3.1 Type-C port, which support 4K resolutions at 60Hz. The Dragon Edition’s sizable 17.3-inch Full HD display is one of the best I’ve seen on a gaming notebook.

Running my standard set of screen tests using my trusted X–Rite colorimeter, the Dragon Edition performed admirably and ran in with a 6,536K colour temperature and 0.13 Delta E. That’s less than 40k away from the 6,500k ideal. Anything lower than a 1.0 Delta E score is pretty darn good.

The screen covers only 85.9% of the sRGB gamut and 62.9% of the Abobe RGB, but considering this is a gaming machine, not a design tool, the figures are more than good enough.

The inclusion of Nvidia’s G–Sync technology is another positive. G-Sync is a custom tech similar to AMD’s FreeSync. It works to reduce screen tearing and input lag by synchronising the display’s refresh rates to the GPU.

Most modern, high performance gaming laptops take their design cues from super cars, with powerful hardware wrapped in sleek, angular cases. The MSI GT72S Dominator Pro has a lot of power, but that's where the comparison to a super car ends. In fact, with lackluster features and a cheap, plastic feel, the 17-inch rig has more in common with a Camaro than a Lambo.

That's not to say the GT72S isn't a powerful laptop. It has plenty of horsepower thanks to an Nvidia GeForce GTX 980 graphics card and a decent i7 CPU. It also has a bright, 17-inch 4K screen and an honest-to-goodness Blu-ray drive. But to take the car analogy even further, when it comes to battery life, this thing is a gas-guzzler.

msi.com

MSI brought out the GTX 980M “Dominator” version of the Dragon Edition in 2015. The special Dragon Edition here adds a few visual and subtle technical changes to the design. As far as the visual changes are concerned, some will love them; others will hate them. Unfortunately, I fall into the latter category.

The Dragon Edition is one of the gaudier-looking notebooks on the market. It has a striking red chassis with a dragon graphic emblazoned on its front that looks very Game of Thrones. Again, maybe that’s your thing. It’s not mine.

PERFORMANCE MSI GT72S DRAGON SERIES

Windows 10 Home

Unlocked 6th Gen Intel Core i7 K Processor

Extreme desktop gaming graphics with GeForce® GTX 980

See gaming differently with a 17” IPS display powered by NVIDIA G-SYNC

DESIGN MSI GT72S DRAGON

MSI GT72S DRAGON EDITION SERIES

The lid on the laptop is an attractive, brushed aluminum panel, with the red MSI badge prominently on display. The cooling vents have the same angled, sports car look other high-powered gaming laptops have adopted, but the GT72S is more of a tank than a supercar. The keys feel firm, with good travel and are spaced well. The 17-inch behemoth means there's plenty of canvas for a full-sized keyboard, but some of the keys aren't where I expect them to be.

Unlike its metal top, the bottom of the computer is plastic and very cheap-feeling at that. It seems like the same filmsy plastic used on budget, sub-$500 laptops. This is partially thanks to the heavily vented bottom, which is necessary to facilitate cooling but it compromises its structural integrity.

The Dynaudio speakers are loud. It's one of the louder laptops I've tested. At full volume, it doesn't become distorted, which is great. While it retains its fidelity even at its loudest, the sound isn't particularly great to begin with. It's passable for casual listening, but there's no richness to it.

Sound also seems off-balance. There's a sub-woofer on the bottom left of the computer, and the equalizer pushes an excessive amount of bass through it.

DISPLAY MSI GT72S DRAGON EDITION WITH NVIDIA GTX 980

MSI has also ensured the Dragon Edition can cater to gamers’ hankering for some 4K action. The Dragon Edition’s display can connect to multiple higher-resolution screens using HDMI 1.4, Mini DisplayPort or a USB 3.1 Type-C port, which support 4K resolutions at 60Hz. The Dragon Edition’s sizable 17.3-inch Full HD display is one of the best I’ve seen on a gaming notebook.

Running my standard set of screen tests using my trusted X–Rite colorimeter, the Dragon Edition performed admirably and ran in with a 6,536K colour temperature and 0.13 Delta E. That’s less than 40k away from the 6,500k ideal. Anything lower than a 1.0 Delta E score is pretty darn good.

The screen covers only 85.9% of the sRGB gamut and 62.9% of the Abobe RGB, but considering this is a gaming machine, not a design tool, the figures are more than good enough.

The inclusion of Nvidia’s G–Sync technology is another positive. G-Sync is a custom tech similar to AMD’s FreeSync. It works to reduce screen tearing and input lag by synchronising the display’s refresh rates to the GPU.

Experience any game or run any application, with the sharper visuals and superior performance you demand. ROG Strix ZX553’s low-profile, easy-touch backlit keys deliver perfect-response 1.8mm travel distance, and the marked WASD key group and dedicated numeric pad enable fast, full control. A solid, one-piece construction keyboard is illuminated by a ROG-red backlight for visibility at all times.

ASUS ROG ZX553VD PERFORMANCE

GeForce GTX 10-Series GPU give you up to 3X the performance of previous-generation GPUs. They’re built with ultra-fast FinFET, the latest high-bandwidth memory technologies, and support for DirectX 12 features to deliver the fastest, smoothest gaming notebook experiences.

ASUS ROG brand is thick with notebook models that can be configured almost any way imaginable. The Strix line is typically their highest echelon, rife with notebooks brandishing the latest specifications and boasting excellent build quality. We've looked at Asus' 17.3-inch offerings in the past - the GL752, GL702, and GL753each offer different tiers for gamers at different budgets. For those that prefer a more portable machine, the Strix line also includes some 15.6-inch models as well. Today, we look at the GL553VD.

The GL553VD is definitely aimed at budget-minded gamers. Armed with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050, the GL553VD won't offer the same gaming performance as it's bigger brothers, the GL502VM and GL502VS.

So what do you get in the lowest specced ROG notebook? The GL553VD sports an Intel Core i7-7700HQ, an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050, excellent construction, a DVD drive, an RGB backlit keyboard, and ample I/O. Its price and specs place it squarely in competition with other budget gaming notebooks, namely the MSI GL62M (GTX 1050), the Acer Aspire VX5-591G (GTX 1050Ti), and the Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7567 (GTX 1050Ti).

KEYBOARD ASUS ROG ZX553VD

The keyboard is excellent. The chiclet keys are well sized and well spaced. The numeric keys on the right-hand side are a bit narrow but still usable. Arrow keys are also properly sized and slightly offset, making them easy to find. The space bar is also firm throughout. The deck can be warped under direct pressure but remains solid when typing.

With a generous 2.5 mm of travel and crisp feedback, the keyboard offers a superior typing experience. The key travel is very deep compared to other gaming notebooks, which typically have a key travel distance of about 2 mm.

A nice element is the inclusion of RGB lighting in the keyboard deck. There are four zones that can be independently set to any of over 16 million colors. Users can also set the colors to be static or pulse at a set rate. There are three stages of backlighting; the brightest can be seen even outdoors, while the dimmest is easy on the eyes and useful in dark settings. The key drop is undefined and a tad spongy, but keys are firm and feel good. The keys are essentially silent, exuding a low thump only under hard typing. Touch typists will thoroughly enjoy typing on this keyboard.

TOUCHPAD ASUS ROG ZX553VD

The touchpad is adequate. Tracking is smooth and accurate, and right and left clicks are registered perfectly. Both buttons are integrated into the touchpad and are divided by only a printed line, which can make it somewhat difficult to discern between a right and left click. The touchpad itself sounds hollow when clicked and lacks definition. Clicks also feel sticky and mushy, and feedback is mediocre. The smooth plastic finish feels a bit cheap and readily attracts fingerprints and oils.

PROCESSOR ASUS ROG ZX553VD

The Intel i7-7700HQ is a very capable quad-core CPU with hyperthreading. Commonly found in high-end workstation and gaming laptops, the 7700HQ offers top-tier performance for Intel's Kaby Lake platform. The CPU features a base clock of 2.8 GHz with a boost up to 3.8. Our test model takes full advantage of this boost under heavier single-threaded workloads, even when running on battery power. Our test model did very well in our Cinebench test suite, showing that it can handle even the most strenuous workloads with aplomb.

All of the modern rivals have the same CPU, while the Omen 15 is equipped with a last-generation Skylake Intel Core i7-6700HQ. There aren't many differences between Skylake and Kaby Lake save for some better power efficiency, marginally higher clock speeds, and native video encoding tools in the newer platform. Otherwise, the chips are very similar in terms of performance.

As such, we see very similar results across the board in our Cinebench testing. While there are some slight performance differences, they are all within margin of error. There is no clear winner between the competition.

Experience any game or run any application, with the sharper visuals and superior performance you demand. ROG Strix ZX553’s low-profile, easy-touch backlit keys deliver perfect-response 1.8mm travel distance, and the marked WASD key group and dedicated numeric pad enable fast, full control. A solid, one-piece construction keyboard is illuminated by a ROG-red backlight for visibility at all times.

ASUS ROG ZX553VD PERFORMANCE

GeForce GTX 10-Series GPU give you up to 3X the performance of previous-generation GPUs. They’re built with ultra-fast FinFET, the latest high-bandwidth memory technologies, and support for DirectX 12 features to deliver the fastest, smoothest gaming notebook experiences.

ASUS ROG brand is thick with notebook models that can be configured almost any way imaginable. The Strix line is typically their highest echelon, rife with notebooks brandishing the latest specifications and boasting excellent build quality. We've looked at Asus' 17.3-inch offerings in the past - the GL752, GL702, and GL753each offer different tiers for gamers at different budgets. For those that prefer a more portable machine, the Strix line also includes some 15.6-inch models as well. Today, we look at the GL553VD.

The GL553VD is definitely aimed at budget-minded gamers. Armed with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050, the GL553VD won't offer the same gaming performance as it's bigger brothers, the GL502VM and GL502VS.

So what do you get in the lowest specced ROG notebook? The GL553VD sports an Intel Core i7-7700HQ, an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050, excellent construction, a DVD drive, an RGB backlit keyboard, and ample I/O. Its price and specs place it squarely in competition with other budget gaming notebooks, namely the MSI GL62M (GTX 1050), the Acer Aspire VX5-591G (GTX 1050Ti), and the Dell Inspiron 15 7000 7567 (GTX 1050Ti).

KEYBOARD ASUS ROG ZX553VD

The keyboard is excellent. The chiclet keys are well sized and well spaced. The numeric keys on the right-hand side are a bit narrow but still usable. Arrow keys are also properly sized and slightly offset, making them easy to find. The space bar is also firm throughout. The deck can be warped under direct pressure but remains solid when typing.

With a generous 2.5 mm of travel and crisp feedback, the keyboard offers a superior typing experience. The key travel is very deep compared to other gaming notebooks, which typically have a key travel distance of about 2 mm.

A nice element is the inclusion of RGB lighting in the keyboard deck. There are four zones that can be independently set to any of over 16 million colors. Users can also set the colors to be static or pulse at a set rate. There are three stages of backlighting; the brightest can be seen even outdoors, while the dimmest is easy on the eyes and useful in dark settings. The key drop is undefined and a tad spongy, but keys are firm and feel good. The keys are essentially silent, exuding a low thump only under hard typing. Touch typists will thoroughly enjoy typing on this keyboard.

TOUCHPAD ASUS ROG ZX553VD

The touchpad is adequate. Tracking is smooth and accurate, and right and left clicks are registered perfectly. Both buttons are integrated into the touchpad and are divided by only a printed line, which can make it somewhat difficult to discern between a right and left click. The touchpad itself sounds hollow when clicked and lacks definition. Clicks also feel sticky and mushy, and feedback is mediocre. The smooth plastic finish feels a bit cheap and readily attracts fingerprints and oils.

PROCESSOR ASUS ROG ZX553VD

The Intel i7-7700HQ is a very capable quad-core CPU with hyperthreading. Commonly found in high-end workstation and gaming laptops, the 7700HQ offers top-tier performance for Intel's Kaby Lake platform. The CPU features a base clock of 2.8 GHz with a boost up to 3.8. Our test model takes full advantage of this boost under heavier single-threaded workloads, even when running on battery power. Our test model did very well in our Cinebench test suite, showing that it can handle even the most strenuous workloads with aplomb.

All of the modern rivals have the same CPU, while the Omen 15 is equipped with a last-generation Skylake Intel Core i7-6700HQ. There aren't many differences between Skylake and Kaby Lake save for some better power efficiency, marginally higher clock speeds, and native video encoding tools in the newer platform. Otherwise, the chips are very similar in terms of performance.

As such, we see very similar results across the board in our Cinebench testing. While there are some slight performance differences, they are all within margin of error. There is no clear winner between the competition.